# Thomson problem

> English word · Proper noun

## Definitions
1. The problem of determining the minimum electrostatic potential energy configuration of a given number of electrons constrained to the surface of a unit sphere that repel each other with a force given by Coulomb's law.

## Etymology
The physicist J. J. Thomson posed the problem in 1904.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/thomson-problem